Looking for a stand for maintenance/ cleaning etc. any recommendations/ cheap offers?

Not looking to spend a fortune though.

These work OK for light use. They come under several brand names.
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-tune-up-workstand
No doubt others will say they are poor because they flex a bit etc. etc. all I can say is I have used mine every week for three years, built up four or five bikes on it, it has never let me down and it is light and small enough to carry around easily
Edit:
The same stand is cheaper at Merlin £54 with the discount:
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/workshop-tools/workshop/workstands/bike-tools-workstand.html

Whens Lidl due a delivery thats what I want to know

The Lidl stand is great, but I don’t know when they’re next due a bike gear sale.

another vote for Lidl

I have had the Merlin one for a couple of years, excellent.

Lidl one is very good, they should be due a “Cycling Special” again soon I reckon although if you’re in a hurry they are available on Fleabay but at an increased price of course.

The Merlin style ones are OK but a little unstable.

A solution is to put something heavy over the legs if you happen to need it.

You can also lower the bike so both the wheels are on the ground.

Otherwise the Park one on Amazon looks a better bet – the legs splay out better:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Park-Tool-Mechanic-Repair-Stand/dp/B000OZFJS4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362572118&sr=8-2

I now have an ultimate sports one which is excellent – but would have been even better if I had bought it in the first place instead of the two cheaper stands I bought and was then disappointed in – one being the Minoura RS500 which is like the Merlin one but with a better clamp.

I use the Park PCS10 above, I tried a cheaper one (about £60) in an LBS and decided the saving wasn’t worth it. The Park is rock solid but is a little heavy (which is why its rock solid, of course). The Amazon price is good, I paid about £20 more last year.

I’ve got the Decathlon one. It is not light or foldable but it is pretty stable and does the job for an “enthusiastic amateur” like me. It’s very cheap as well!

andystand?

Want really cheap? Got a wall? I have one of these, came with 2 wall mounts too. £20

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOME-MECHANIC-WALL-MOUNTED-BIKE-CYCLE-REPAIR-STAND-/160624752473

Once you get it, you’ll realise workstands are brilliant and you’ll wonder why you never bought one years ago. With that in mind, it’s worth paying enough to secure a good one IMO.

FWIW I have a Minoura W-3100 which is great. I got it from Wiggle for £60 a few years back, although they’re £135 now. If you can find that for < £100, I’d recommend it. I’ve used the Edinburgh bike ones, they’re OK but the clamp’s not brilliant.

I’ve got this one –> http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?id=20&method=mViewProduct&productid=16278

down to just under 60 quid at the moment from 84 , sturdy and well made IMO.

The Merlin style ones are OK but a little unstable.

A solution is to put something heavy over the legs if you happen to need it.

Never had a problem with mine being unstable, used it loads for a good few years now with no issues.

They’re one of the best tools you’ll ever buy and wonder how you lived without it.

Park tools, best £100 ever spent on my bikes. Outlasted all the other brands my friends over, been dragged all over the world and used and abused for donkey’s years. Great value. £100 over 10 years works out at about 2.7p per day of ownership. Still going strond although it does need a new magnetic tray as the old one was stolen.

Tom KP

There’s a difference between cheap and good value. A £25 pair of shoes that you wear once to a wedding is cheap. But a £250 pair of shoes that you wear 4-5 days a week for 15 years is good value.
That’s one of my theories as to why rich people stay rich – they buy good stuff that lasts forever. LOL

Never had a problem with mine being unstable, used it loads for a good few years now with no issues.

take the front wheel out and it wants to tip over – I would class that as unstable.

I suppose it depends where you clamp it, but as you should be clamping using the seatpost I can’t see how your would be any more stable than mine (Minoura RS5000) was.